Final Podcast

Blog #5: NFL Bad Lip Readings

     The greatest viral videos are the ones that get re-made over and over.  One type of viral video that has many different topics and editions is the bad lip readings.  The bad lip reading videos take clips from television shows, news, movies, and sports, and put different voices and reading that match the lip movements of the people on camera.  The first lip readings were done to music videos such as “Boom Boom Pow” and “Our Song.”  My favorite bad lip reading is the NFL Edition.  It is hilarious seeing these big tough football players saying this stuff and the voices they use for each athlete and coach is comical.  In this class, we have talked about how big new media has become in the sporting world.  This video shows just that.  The video on YouTube has over 55 million views with thousands of comments on the video.  The best part about these videos is everyone is different.  There are always different saying and different clips to show. 

     My favorite scene is when the 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh starts screaming “I want cake now!” at the referee.  Some of the scenes are so spot on that you can’t even tell if they are true or false. 

 

The first edition even got so many hits that they did another video right before the Pro Bowl.  This one is just as funny as the first!!

Blog #4: It's not about what you know OR who you know...

It’s not about what you know OR who you know...

 

As we get closer into the “real world,” everyone seems to have advice on how to find a job after you graduate.  One line keeps being stated over and over again: “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.”  Well, that is not necessarily true.

Last year I was at Huntington Beach, California, recruiting for the USD softball team.  As I got done early one day, I took a day trip to Laguna Beach to see the sights.  While I was walking on the beach I ran into a man there.  He was an older man in his 60s enjoying his nightly walk with his dog in the sand.  As we got to talking, I learned his whole life story: a farm boy from the Midwest that came to California to pursue a dream.  The man now owns a steel company in California and a multimillion dollar home on Laguna Beach.  When I told him I was in my last year of school the first thing he told me was this. “People will tell you ‘It’s not what you know, it’s who you know,’ but those people are wrong.  It’s not what you know OR who you know.  It’s all about who knows you.”

Here are some points on how to get people to know you:

·         Leave a lasting impression.  Do something to be remembered.  If you have something concrete and memorable about you, it may come in handy later on.  If you add meaning and value to a person, they will remember you later on. 

·         Be persistent.  Talking to someone once many not be the answer.  Keep in contact.  Even if it just someone in your town or a neighbor, the more you talk to someone, the closer you become.  If you are persistent enough they will remember you.  Also, use the person’s name.  People like hearing their name said and may also help them remember your name as well. 

·         Ask questions. When I say ask questions, I don’t just mean questions with simple answers like “yes” or “no.”  Instead, ask questions that will spark a conversations or lead to other questions.  Ask people about themselves.  If you seem interested in their personal life, later on they may remember connecting with you on a stronger level.  If you have a meaningful enough conversation, they may remember it down the road when you are asking them for a favor.  Perhaps, a job? 

So, remember as you leaving the classroom: be memorable.  You can know all the people in the world but it won’t get you anywhere if they do not know who you are.  Being a fly on the wall won’t get you a job.  Again, it’s not what you know or who you know.  It is all about who knows you. 

Blog #3: Advances in Golf

One of my favorite things to watch on SportsCenter is Sport Science.  I loved Physics in undergrad so using physics in relation to sports intrigues me.  I was sitting on my couch the other day checking out old Sports Sciences on the internet and I came about a golf one: New Technology vs. Old. 

In this class we talk about the new media and technology and new technology during games such as instant replay.  This talks about the advances of technology in reference to the equipment.  In this episode of Sports Science, the host, John Brenkus, invites Rory McIlroy in to demonstrate the difference between today’s modern equipment and three-decade old equipment.  The results are amazing. 

Technology has changed golf dramatically.  First, Rory McIlroy used his current driver to hit some tee shots.  His current driver produces speeds over 120 MPH.  His drives average over 300 yards.  First off, that in itself amazes me, regardless of technology or not.  Then he took some tee shots with an old, wood driver.  The results were very different.  The one number they discussed was the energy transfer efficiency.  The modern clubs ETE was 83% while the old clubs was only 78%.  With less energy transfer, the ball is in contact with the club for a shorter amount of time which produces less speed.  While the new driver’s ball speed at contact is 177.6 MPH, the old driver’s ball speed is significantly less at 164.8 MPH.  This causes the ball to travel 45 yards shorter than the new driver.  That the difference between about 3 clubs! 

Next, he compared new balls to old balls.  This is the part that intrigued me the most.  I didn’t think a certain type of ball could make that big of difference in golf but I was wrong.  While the new ball left Rory’s club at an average speed of 177.6 MPH, the old ball left at a slower speed of 169.2 MPH.  Compared to the new ball, the old ball carries about 16 yards shorter and rolls out about 6 yards less. 

No matter what sport, it is amazing to see how new advances in technology   have changed the games.  Whether it is social media, equipment, facilities, or advances within the game, technology will continue to change sports over the years. 

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=10737949

Blog #2: Website Evaluation of www.betdania.com

The website I evaluated was betdania.com.  This website is for Dania Jai-Alai, “home of the world’s fastest game.”  When I first opened the website I thought, what is Dania Jai-Alai?? They have helmets like horse racers, wear uniforms like slowpitch softball players, use something that looks like a hollow boomerang, and play in a racquetball-type facility.  Instantly, I looked at how the game was played.  That was easily accessible on the homepage.  The game is similar to handball or racquetball.  However, unlike racquetball where it is a closed court, this court has three walls so the fans can watch the game.  The ball is hurled against the wall where the opponent has to catch the ball in the air or the first bounce. The first team that scores either 7 or 9 points wins.   

My first frustration of the website was viewing how the game is played.  There are three sections on the website about how the game is played: the court, how it’s played, and how it’s scored.  The three parts change every 30 seconds on the website.  Trying to understand this game was difficult.  I would read the “how it’s played” portion and then begin to re-read to understand more and before I could finish, the “how it’s scored” part would pop up.  There is no way to go back to the previous one without it cycling around again.  So, I would have to wait for it to come back around. 

When you first enter the site, there are tabs on top to help you navigate easily.  The tabs are Jai-Alai, Players, Poker, The Program, Instant Info, and Dania Buzz.  This first thing I noticed was that as soon as you click on a tab, or enter a new part of the site, there is no easy way to get back to the homepage.  Also, the website is for a casino.  However, there is no address on the homepage for the casino. 

Once you start clicking on the tabs the information is short and precise.  It does a great job of getting their information and major points across and to help you better understand what exactly they offer.  Since they are a casino, they also have a responsible gambling tab, which all casinos websites should have.  I do believe the website is easy to navigate and is easily accessible.  One thing I would change is to put their address right on their homepage.  To locate the address you have to scroll to the bottom of the page and select “General Info.”  To get back to the homepage to locate the address you have to find the home button on the bottom of the page.  However, some of the pages do not even have a home button option.  So, you will have to navigate to a different page to find the home button to return to the homepage.  This seems like a lot of work for something that could be easily fixed. 

One of their best assets is the pictures the website provides.  Obviously not many people know what Dania Jai-Alai is.  They do a great job providing pictures for people to better understand the game and what the casino provides.  Overall, this is a solid website but could improve on making it easier to navigate through the pages. 

Blog #1: Technology Deprivation

As I set out on my last semester of Graduate School, I am asked to do something I have never done: blog.  As if trying to figure out how to blog didn’t appear difficult enough, I then had to attempt to go 24 hours without the use of technology.  I figured my best bet at this attempt would be the weekend, when I recruit.  During the week I am constantly emailing coaches about game times and working on summer camps.  I thought to myself, “I can do this.  A day watching softball games and enjoying the beautiful weather,   this will be easy.”

 Saturday morning rolled around.  First thing I did: checked the time on my phone.  I decided at that point it would be easier to just turn my phone off.  As I prepare for the day, everything is running smoothly.  I grab my backpack, leave the hotel, and head to the softball fields.  I almost make it out of the parking lot when I realized that I had no idea where I was going.  All game times, field assignments, and addresses were on my phone.  So, I went back to my room, grabbed my phone, and used it to get me to my location.  Once at the fields, I wrote down all teams I would like to see and any other information from my phone on one of the programs.  I proceeded to turn my phone off again and watch some softball games.  I found it easier to not use my phone at the fields.  I enjoyed my afternoon with no technology while soaking in the sun at a softball field.  After the games were over, I turned my phone back on to get me back to the hotel. (I am terrible at directions.)  Once back at the hotel I turned my phone back off and went to bed early. 

This was an extremely difficult task for me.  I feel I could have accomplished a day with no technology if I was more prepared.  Needing a plan to not use technology for a day seems silly but almost necessary for the task to be accomplished.